Hi,

I went to Sapporo from 25 dec - 1/1/2018.

I experienced train delay in Otaru. Waited around 1 hour in the train station, then decide to take the bus back to Sapporo. Have to stand in line , in heavy snow fall and waited for 1- 2 hour, then the bus operator said that the bus service already stop, stop at 7pm.

Decide to stay in Otaru but all the hotels are fully booked so no choice have to take taxi back to Sapporo. A few taxis passed by but don't want to go to Sapporo and luckily one taxi stopped and agreed to take us back to sapporo.

Although the driver couldn't speak english but very helpful. He called our hotel to check on us and sent us there. The fare is according to the meter at it's around 10,000 yen.

Lesson learned - don't go to Otaru during snow fall.

Which particular day/date is that? Can't be one hour no train go back to Sapporo?
Last train I remember is 9pm or 9.30pm.

lol..kek...what is malindo thinking?
already transit yet cost twice as much as AA

@icehart

Thanks again for the guides. Very helpful. I googled and found out asahiyama zoo operating hours in winter is from 10.30am to 3.30pm (last admission 3.00pm). I think i will take train from sapporo to asahikawa to visit the zoo and return on the same day. Can let my children to experience taking train also. I dont feel comfortable to drive 150km++ from sapporo to asahikawa. I intend to drive only in sapporo to the nearest attraction. Maybe i should plan something like this. First day of arrival to travel from chitose to noberibetsu or lake toya and stay there for 2 nights. The rest of the weeks i will just stay in sapporo and the last night in chitose. I will take the morning flight from new chitose back to KLIA.

The train was delayed, they don't know what time can operate again.

The bus service stop at 7pm, so cannot take the bus back to sapporo

Sounds good. If you are traveling by train especially with kids, do remember to get reserved seating ya otherwise you might end up standing. The Chitose to Noboribetsu/Lake Toya not so bad got chance with seating in unreserved train car but the Asahikawa I have to stand for 1.5 hours

I have not done much study yet about the JR Rail pass or Hokkaido Rail Pass and not sure where to buy, how to buy and how to top up. Before coming to that i wish to estimate the train fare i will need to spend. I could not find much information on google. I read there are no round trip fare from sapporo to asahikawa and 1 way ticket is 5000++ and is different by time. I attached herewith my planned train schedule. May i know approximate how much i have to spend on train fare? And also please recommend some good hotel to stay at Noboribetsu (2 nights), Sapporo (4 nights) and New chitose (1 night). Budget about RM300 to RM500 per night. Thanks

This post has been edited by elifen: Feb 18 2019, 04:44 PM


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@bryanhee

Thanks for your info. I did quoted to your reply but it was not shown up probably error when posting. I take your advise to take the morning flight instead of wasting another night in tokyo.

is the tokyo subway pass really worth it? Or should I just travel using prepaid IC?

Look at your itinerary and do the Math.
If you're consistently travelling to different areas in a day then it could pay off.
If you're just spending time at say Shinjuku/Shibuya for the day then the IC card is enough.

16/12 - Take airport bus limo from airport to noboribetsu Y1370 x 2, Y685 x 2 (12pm & 1pm daily)
17/12 - Take bus from noboribetsu < - >lake toya Y1700 x 4, Y850 x 4 (9am & 3pm daily)
18/12 - Take bus from noboribetsu to sapporo Y1950 x 2, Y975 x 2 ( 9.40am only)

Their bus service direct stop in front of the onsen hotel or resort is more convenience you take bus than JR Train.

This post has been edited by bryanhee: Feb 18 2019, 05:33 PM

That are good option too. Will look into that. Thanks

Usually it won’t pay off and u probably need to get the 48 or 72 hours pass at least.

Some areas are more directly accessible and convenient with JR Chuo line (rather than changing subway)

How much to spend on train fare? Very expensive

Round trip from Sapporo to Asahikawa is around 4,810 Yen/pax. You can use Hyperdia.com to check on train schedule and cost of travel and plan accordingly. Hokkaido Rail Pass is around RM 610 for 3 days or RM 869 for 7 days. Rail pass grants unlimited train ride on JR trains and JR buses.
https://www.klook.com/article/1542-jr-pass-hokkaido/

Next is to get all your destinations sorted, then use this calculator -> https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ if it's worth it for you.

For accommodation, narrow down your lists and then check back here. Sure someone will come and help

piece of advice: if you have zero experience driving on ice, better don't do self drive

but i went otaru during snowfall, somemore got blizzard
overall still pleasant trip haha

I always find this a chicken and egg situation. If you've never tried, you'll never have the experience driving on ice there's no snow in Malaysia, when else do one get the experience driving on ice?

well...when life is on the line, i will choose safety always

because i have driven on ice (or black ice) before...when you lose control, you need to know how to react immediately and pray at the same time

even the experienced drivers who drive in snow before also share the same concern...

so up to you whether you wanna take the risk vs spending more on taking public transports

Dear All,

First time to Japan, will be visiting Fukuoka in summer.

How hot is it gonna be in July?
- Will it be unsuitable for onsen during the day?
- Will it be suitable for an open top bus trip in the city?
- Is outdoor activity advised?
- How about a trip to the beaches?

Please advise as it would help with planning. Thank you.

driving on black ice is quite an experience, make any sudden brake, can start praying that you won't hit the curb or anything

driving in winter is one thing, driving etiquette is another. recently my parent came to visit me, let them drive around the area but manatau they export KL driving, no signal, no lane keeping, not stopping at train crossing, driving on the opposite direction (either confused or snow covered the lines), etc.


IMO, JP summer is warmer than MY just remember to stay hydrated and it should be fine

This post has been edited by quadcube: Feb 19 2019, 04:51 PM

Thanks for the info @icehart @lyc1982 and @sweet_pez (moderator)